What are women’s human rights?

Women's rights are the fundamental human rights that were enshrined by the United Nations
for every human being on the planet nearly 70 years ago. These rights include the right to live
free from violence, slavery, and discrimination; to be educated; to own property; to vote; and
to earn a fair and equal wage.

As the now-famous saying goes, “women’s rights are human rights.” That is to say, women
are entitled to all of these rights. Yet almost everywhere around the world, women and girls
are still denied them, often simply because of their gender.

Winning rights for women is about more than giving opportunities to any individual woman
or girl; it is also about changing how countries and communities work. It involves changing
laws and policies, winning hearts and minds, and investing in strong women’s organizations
and movements.

Global Fund for Women exists to support the tireless and courageous efforts of women’s
groups who work every day to win rights for women and girls. These groups are working to
ensure women can own property, vote, run for office, get paid fair wages, and live free from
violence – including domestic violence, sexual assault, and harmful practices such as female
genital mutilation.

What rights do we stand for?

We want every woman and girl to realize the rights that are enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. We also stand for other rights that are vital for women’s
equality. We stand for a woman’s right to decide if and when she has children, and to have
high-quality health care that means she won’t die in pregnancy or during childbirth. We know
female genital mutilation is a violation of girls’ rights, and must be eliminated. And we stand
for the right of every woman to live equally and free from discrimination, no matter her
sexuality or identity.

We support two critical documents for women’s rights that have followed the UN
declaration. The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW), an international bill of rights for women, requires governments to end
gender discrimination and affirms women’s rights to health services, including family
planning. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995 at the UN’s
Fourth World Conference in Beijing, was a rallying cry to embed gender equality and
women’s rights in every facet of life.

Women’s rights and the Global Goals

The UN Millennium Development Goals set specific targets to reduce poverty, including
targets for increased gender equality in education, work, and representation. UN Women
found that progress was uneven. Globally, more women are now in school and work. Yet
girls are still more likely than boys to be out of school (particularly at the secondary level).
And although the number of women in elected office has risen, they are still only 21.8
percent of parliamentarians. What’s more, women’s rights remain at risk in many areas not
addressed in the millennium goals – from violence against women to sexual and reproductive
rights. And women who are already marginalized because of their race, caste, sexuality,
income, or location see the fewest gains of all.

The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hold real promise to embed advances in
women’s rights, and include a specific goal (Goal 5) for gender equality. Goal 5 is more
broad-based than the last gender goal and includes targets on ending gender-based violence,
eliminating child marriage and female genital mutilation, and ensuring access to sexual and
reproductive health. It also includes equal access to education, expanding women's economic
opportunities, and reducing the burdens of unpaid care work on women and girls. Now it is
up to all of us to hold governments accountable for their commitments and make sure the
goals are met. Involving women – and funding the solutions of grass-roots women’s groups –
will be critical to success.

Global Fund for Women is working for a world where every woman and girl can realize and
enjoy her human rights.

Only when women and girls have full access to their rights – from equal pay and land
ownership rights to sexual rights, freedom from violence, access to education, and maternal
health rights – will true equality exist. Only when women have taken leadership and
peacemaking roles and have an equal political voice will economies and countries be
transformed. And only then will all women and girls have the self-determination they are
entitled to.

Here is a quick preface of the rights:

 Right to maintenance
 Right to equal pay
  Right to dignity and decency
 Right against domestic violence
 Rights at workplace
 Right against dowry
 Right to free legal aid
 Right of private defense

1.Right to maintenance
Maintenance includes the basic necessities of life like food, shelter, clothes, education, health
care facilities etc. A married woman is entitled to get maintenance from her husband even
after her divorce till she doesn’t remarry. Maintenance depends on the standard of living of
the wife and circumstances and income of the husband. Section 125 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973, puts an obligation on the husband to maintain her divorced wife except
when the wife lives in adultery or refuses to live with her husband without reasonable cause
or when both of them live separately by mutual consent. Under the aforesaid section, any
Indian woman irrespective of her caste and religion can claim maintenance from her
husband.

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 also facilities maintenance but to Hindu women only.
Whereas, the Dissolution of Muslim Marriage Act, 1939 covers only Muslim woman.

2.Right to equal pay

We now have gender neutral laws. A male and a female is entitled to the same pay for the
same work. The Equal Remuneration Act provides for the same. It ensures payment of equal
remuneration to both men and women workers for the same work or work of a similar nature.
In the context of recruitment and service conditions, there will be no discrimination on the
basis of gender.

3.Right to dignity and decency

Dignity and decency are women’s personal jewels. Anybody who tries to snatch and disrobe
her modesty is considered a sinner and law very well entails its punishment. Every woman
has the right to live in dignity, free of fear, coercion, violence and discrimination. Law very
well respects women’s dignity and modesty. The criminal law provides for the punishments
for offences committed against women like Sexual Harassment (Sec. 354A), assault with
intent to disrobe her (Sec. 354B) or to outrage her modesty (Sec. 354), Voyeurism (Sec.
354C), Stalking (354D) etc.

In case the woman herself is accused of an offence and arrested, she is behaved and dealt
with decency. Her arrest and search should be made with strict regard to decency by a woman
police officer and her Medical examination should be carried out by a woman medical officer
or in supervision of a woman medical officer. In rape cases, so far as practicable, a woman
police officer should register the FIR. Furthermore, she cannot be arrested after sunset and
before sunrise except for a special permission of the Magistrate by a woman police officer.

4.Right against domestic violence

Every woman is entitled to the right against Domestic Violence with her by virtue of the
enactment of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act in 2005. Domestic
Violence includes within its ambit not only Physical abuse but also mental, sexual and
economic abuse. So, if you are a daughter or a wife or a live-in partner and is subjected to
any of such abuses by your partner or husband or his relatives or by person related to you by
blood or adoption who live or have lived with you in a shared household, then you are well
covered under the provisions of Domestic Violence Act and may seek different remedies
provided thereof. You may contact the women helpline no. “1091” and register your
complaint. They will inform police about your case. You may also approach the women’s cell
of your area which you can find with help of google. They provide special services to such
women and help them lodge their cases before the Magistrate after drafting their complaints
in a proper manner. You may also approach the police to register your case.

Since the case of Domestic violence is cognizable in nature, police is bound to register FIR
and investigate thereto, but in case, it refuses to do so then you may write a letter stating your
case to Superintendent of police and post it, if SP feels that the information discloses a
cognizable offence, then he may either himself investigate or direct his subordinate police
officer to register the case and investigate it. In case, SP also denies you, you may directly
approach the Magistrate having jurisdiction in your area, and move your application under
sec. 12 of DV Act with the help of a lawyer for seeking desired relief(s) against Domestic
Violence which include protection, custody and compensation orders.

The Indian Penal code also provides protection to such women who are subjected to
Domestic violence, under Sec 498A by punishing the husband or his relatives with the
imprisonment which may extend to 3 years and fine.

5.Rights at workplace

You have a right to have a ladies toilet where you work. At places, with more than 30 female
workers, providing facilities for care and feeding of children is mandatory. Further, the
Supreme Court and the Govt. had put in to ensure the safety of women at workplaces. The
Hon’ble Supreme Court in Vishakha v. State of Rajasthan, had laid down exclusive
guidelines for protection of women from Sexual Harrasment at workplace, following which,
the Govt. in 2013, has enacted an exclusive legislation- The Sexual Harassment of Women at
Workplace (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION and REDRESSAL) Act, 2013 for that end. So
if any person at your workplace, asks you for sexual favors, or makes sexually colored
remarks and whistles looking at you or sings obscene songs looking at you, touches you
inappropriately, or shows pornography, then all that will constitute Sexual Harrassment and
you may complain to the Internal complaints committee which is required to be constituted
by the employer at each office or branch with 10 or more employees. The District Officer is
also required to constitute a Local Complaints Committee at each district, and if required at
the block level. Apart from this, IPC also, penalizes Sexual Harassment under 354A by
providing an imprisonment of 1-3 years.

6.Right against dowry

Dowry system i.e. giving and taking of dowry by bride or bridegroom or by their parents at,
before or after the marriage is penalized by Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. The Act, defines
“Dowry” as any property or valuable security given or agreed to be given either directly or
indirectly by one party to the other but does not include dower or mahr in the case of persons
to whom the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) applies. If you give, take or abet giving or taking
of dowry, then you shall be punishable with a minimum imprisonment of 5 years and
minimum fine of Rs. 15,000.

“Say no to dowry, it breeds violence.”

7.Right to free legal aid

If you are an aggrieved woman, you are entitled to claim free legal services from the legal
services authorities recognized under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 irrespective of
whether you can afford legal services on your own. There are District, State, and National
legal Services Authorities constituted at District, State and National level respectively. Legal
services include assisting in the conduct of any case or other legal proceedings before any
Court or tribunal or authority and advising on legal matters.

8.Right of private defence/ self-defence

It is a defensive right. You can cause hurt, grievous hurt or even death in protecting your
body or another person’s body from the assailant. But you can kill the assailant without
attracting liability and punishment only in certain circumstances like:When you feel that the
assailant is about to cause your death or grievous hurt or commit rape, kidnapping or
abduction or if he intends to lock you in a room or throws or attempts to throw acid at you,
then you can kill that person and law will protect you.
Conclusion of the Essay on Women Rights

To sum it up, only when women and girls get full access to their rights will they be able to enjoy
a life of freedom. It includes everything from equal pay to land ownerships rights and more.
Further, a country can only transform when its women get an equal say in everything and are
treated equally.